Automatic air-signal, air-brake, and steam coupling.



PATENTED APR. 23, 1907.

G. N I L D.. U 0 C M A E T S D N A AUTOMATIC AIR SIGNAL, AIR BRAKE APPLICATION FILED JULYSI, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED APR. 23, 1907.

H. C. PRIEBE. i AUTOMATIC AIR SIGNAL, AIR BRAKE, AND STEAM COUPLING.

3 BHEETSTSHEIIT 2.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1906.

PATENTBD APR. 23, 1907.

No. 851,316. v

H. C. PRIEBE.

AUTOMATIC AIR SIGNAL, AIR BRAKE, ANI) STEAM COUPL ING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, '1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICBo AUTOMATIC AIR-SIGNAL, AIR-BRAKE, AND STEAM COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

-atented April 23, 1907.

Application iled July 31, 1906. Serial No. 328,552.

To @ZZ zzz/"tom t may concern:

Be itknown that I, HERMAN C. PRIIIBE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blue Island, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Air-Signal, Air-Brake, and Steam Couplers, of which the following, taken in connection with the drawings, is a description.

M y invention has for its obcctthe production of a coupling for either air signal, air brake or steam connection for railway cars, or for all of such connections, and is so constructed as to be operated simultaneously with the car coupler in coupling or uncoup ling a train of cars. By means of this device the coupling together and uncoupling of the aforesaid pipe connections is accomplished without the necessity of an attendant going between the cars to make the connection or disconnection as has heretofore been the case.

This device is exceedingly simple in construction, is applicable to any cars, and has been found very efficient in operation.

Other novel features and advantages of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out in the following description and claims. In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts I have illustrated what I now consider the preferred form of my invention, and in these drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of one forni of my invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively side and end elevations of Fig. l Fig. 4 illustratesa perspective view of another form of my invention illustrating another form of securing the coupling together; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the same with the car coupler in dotted lines; Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively side and end elevations of Fig. 5.

In carrying out my invention A, A represent two halves or sections of my coupling device, which are detachably secured together and in the construction shown in Fig. 1 are provided with interlocking corners a, a', said corners being beveled as shown more clearly at I), b in Figs. 2 and 3, so that as the coupling is forced together upon the coupling of the cars as hereinafter explained, the corresponding beveled surfaces on each of the sections A, A of the hose coupler will register with each other and the interlocking corners a, a will securely hold the coupling together until forced apart by the cars being uncoupled.

B, B are the coupling pins of the car coupler which extend below said coupler, (as shown more clearly in Figs. 6 and 7 and one of which projects through each section of the hose coupler A, A. Compression springs C, C are disposed around the pins B, B beneath the coupler A, A, and sullicient space is allowed between the car coupler 'D and the hose coupler A, A, to permit of any vertical movement that might be occasioned by the jarring of the cars either in coupling or uncoupling or for any other reason.

Extending transversely through the coupling A, A, are the )assageways c, c', c2, which, when the coupier is closed are coincident with each other and form continuous passages through the coupler. d, IZ, are flexible washers or gaskets disposed between the confronting faces of the coupler for the purpose of forming an air and steam tight connection between the sections A, A. In the drawing I have shown the passages c, c', c2 of different sizes, but as is obvious they may be of any size suitable for air signal, air brake or steam connection. Each end of said passageways is )rovided with means for connecting with a hose pipe D', D2 which may be of any well known construction.

In the modified form which I have illus-- tratcd in Figs. 4 and 5, the sections A, A of the coupler are provided with different means for securing and holding said sections in position when the coupler is closed. Upon one end of cach of said sections are two oppositely facing arms c, c, which receive a tapered projection c2 extending from the opposite end of each of said sections A, A. Springs E, E are rigidly secured to one end of each of said sections A, A, which, when the device is in closed position take over the end of the projections e2. The tension of said springs clamp the two halves of the coupler together sufficiently tight to insure an air tight connection at the meeting faces of the sections A, A with the passageways c, c', c2.

In use the device is operated automatically and simultaneously with the operation of the car coupler. The trainman couples and uncouples the cars in the usual way and as each half or section of the hose coupler A, A is carried upon one of the coupling pins B, B of the car coupler, when the cars are coupled together the hose coupler is automatically and simultaneously coupled to- IOO TIO

gether. When the car coupler is uncoupled the sections A, A', are likewise automatically and simultaneously disconnected by being pulled apart, the force of the springs E, E or the interlocking corners a, a being simply sufficient to retain the sections of the hose coupler in closed position and form an air tight connection therebetween when the coupler is in closed position under normal conditions.

I claim:

1. A coupler of the class described comprising two sections having coincident passage ways extending therethrough, means for providing an air tight connection between the confronting faces of said sections, coupling pins extending through each of said sections and automatic means for detachably f securing said sections together.

2. A coupler of the class described, comprising two sections having coincident passage ways extending therethrough, means for providing an air tight connection surrounding said passageways between the confronting faces of said sections, a coupling pin extending through each of said sections, compression springs upon each of said pins, and means for detachably securing each of said sections together.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a car coupler and coupling pins with a hose coupler comprising two sections having coincident passageways extending therethrough, each of said sections supported upon the aforesaid coupling pins, and means for automatically and simultaneously coupling and uncoupling said couplers.

4. In a device of the class described, the

- combination of a car coupler and the coupling automatically opening and closing said coupler.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a car coupler and the coupling pins extending therethrough, with a hose coupler comprising two sections supported on the aforesaid coupling pins, each of said sections having passage ways extending therethrough, means for forming an air tight connection surrounding said passageways between the confronting faces of said sections, compression springs on the coupling pins, and means for detachably locking said sections together.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a car coupler and the coupling pins with a hose coupler comprising two sections supported on the aforesaid coupling pins, each of said sections having passage ways extending therethrough, means for forming an air-tight connection surrounding said passageways between the confronting faces of said sections, a spring rigidly secured to each of said sections, said springs adapted to exert a tension upon the opposite end of the opposing section, and means for automatically coupling and uncoupling said device.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a car coupler and coupling pins extending therethrough, of a hose coupling comprising two sections supported upon the said coupling pins, each of said sections having passage ways extending therethrough, means for forming an air tight connection between the confronting faces of said' sections, means for connecting a hose pipe with each of said passage ways, interlocking corners upon the aforesaidsections, and means for automatically coupling and uncoupling said device.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERMAN C. PRIEBE.

Vitnesses:

JAMES T. CRANE, F. I-I. KING. 

